Creating E-Learning Content: A Guide, Tips, and the Right Software

Creating e-learning content sounds simple at first: choose a topic, gather knowledge, build the course, and publish. In practice, it quickly becomes clear that good digital learning content requires more than just a few slides, a PDF, or an explainer video.

L&D teams and departments face several questions at once: Which topics are actually suitable for e-learning? What software do I need? How do I create content that resonates with the target audience? How do I keep courses up to date? How do I publish training so that employees or customers actually use it?

Companies that want to create their own e-learning content need more than just creative ideas. They need a clear structure and software that integrates content creation, publishing, evaluation, and updates.

In this article, you will learn which content is suitable for e-learning, how to develop your own learning materials step by step, and what to look for in e-learning authoring software.

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Which content is suitable for e-learning?

Not every piece of knowledge needs to become a digital course. Good e-learning content solves a specific learning problem: it imparts knowledge, guides users through processes, ensures standards are met, or makes information consistently available.

Content that is particularly suitable

E-learning is especially well-suited for content that is needed by multiple people on a regular basis or that must be communicated in a standardized way.

Typical examples include:

• Onboarding content for new employees
• Mandatory training and compliance courses
• Product training for sales, service, or customers
• Process knowledge and work instructions
• Safety training
• Software and tool training
• Customer training
• Knowledge checks and refreshers
• FAQ content for recurring questions
• Foundational knowledge for different locations or departments

Content like this benefits from being created once and then reused multiple times. Companies reduce repetitive explanation work and ensure that all target groups reach the same level of knowledge.

You can find more about training internal target groups on the page digital employee training.

Content that is less suitable

Not every topic belongs in a self-paced course. Highly complex conflict situations, sensitive leadership topics, or content that is heavily dialogue-oriented often require supplementary live formats, coaching, or workshops.

This does not mean that e-learning is unsuitable for these purposes. In such cases, digital content handles the preparation, knowledge transfer, or follow-up. Application, reflection, and discussion take place in additional live formats.

What software do I need to create e-learning content?

The most important question is not, "Which software has the most features?" The deciding factor is, "Which software covers my entire content process?"

When companies create e-learning content, they usually need more than just a presentation tool. They need a solution that can create, structure, publish, assign, and evaluate content.

Authoring tool

An authoring tool is the heart of content creation. It allows you to build digital courses with text, images, videos, quizzes, interactions, and knowledge checks.

A good authoring tool guides departments through course creation, offers templates, and makes content implementable without any prior technical knowledge.

Learning platform or LMS

An authoring tool creates content. An LMS or learning platform delivers it. This is where learners are managed, courses are assigned, learning paths are built, and progress is evaluated.

A platform that combines an authoring tool and an LMS is particularly practical. Content is then created directly where it will later be published and measured.

Course library and templates

Templates speed up the process. They provide structure for common training topics and prevent every team from starting from scratch.

A course library and templates are particularly well-suited for standard topics like onboarding, workplace safety, compliance, or foundational knowledge.

Media library and knowledge base

Not every piece of content needs to be a course. Guides, PDFs, videos, checklists, or product information are often better suited for a central knowledge base.

A media library and news feed makes materials easy to find and bridges the gap between learning and knowledge management.

Step-by-step guide: Creating e-learning content

Step 1: Define your target audience and learning objectives

Start by asking: Who needs to be able to do what after completing this content?

A course for new hires requires different content than a product training session for experienced sales teams. Training for managers works differently than a quick knowledge check for operational teams.

Formulate concrete learning objectives:

• Learners can perform a task independently.
• Learners recognize common mistakes.
• Learners apply a rule correctly in a practical situation.
• Learners know the next steps in a process.

The clearer the goal, the easier it is to create the content.

Step 2: Gather existing knowledge

Check which materials already exist. This includes presentations, manuals, SOPs, PDFs, product documentation, support responses, process documents, videos, or internal wikis.

Also, collect questions from everyday operations:

• Which topics does HR have to explain over and over again?
• Which support questions keep coming up?
• Which mistakes happen frequently?
• What information are new employees missing?
• What content do specific locations or departments need on a regular basis?

This creates a realistic foundation for relevant learning content.

Step 3: Structure your content

Organize the knowledge into small modules. A good e-learning module covers a clear topic and guides learners through the content step by step.

A simple structure is:

1. What is it about?
2. Why is this topic important?
3. What do learners need to know?
4. How do they apply this knowledge?
5. How is understanding checked?

For this step, you can find in-depth tips in the article How do I create an e-learning course?.

Step 4: Choose the right formats

Different formats are suitable depending on your goal. Texts explain the basics. Videos demonstrate processes. Quizzes test understanding. Checklists support daily tasks. Interactive elements engage learners.

Since this article focuses on software and tool selection, you can find in-depth information on formats, storytelling, and content ideas in the article Creating e-learning content.

Step 5: Implementing content in the authoring tool

Now the actual course takes shape. Work with short units, clear headings, accessible language, and recurring elements.

A good authoring tool offers the following for this purpose:

• Text blocks
• Image and video integration
• Quiz questions
• Fill-in-the-blank exercises
• Matching tasks
• Templates
• AI support
• Multilingualism
• Mobile device preview

Ensure that departments can edit content themselves. This saves time and prevents every minor change from having to go through L&D or IT.

Innovative authoring tools now go beyond simple text suggestions when it comes to AI support. AI assistants that integrate learning objectives, course structure, content, and knowledge assessment are particularly helpful. This way, the AI doesn't just assist with writing, but guides authors through a pedagogically sound creation process.

Step 6: Testing knowledge

E-learning content is more effective when it tests understanding. Use short knowledge checks after important sections.

Suitable options include:

• Quiz questions
• Case studies
• Decision-making questions
• Fill-in-the-blank exercises
• Matching tasks
• practical assignments

With a quiz and gamification app companies combine knowledge testing with motivation.

Step 7: Publish, evaluate, and improve

Optimization begins after publication. Monitor how learners interact with the content.

Key questions include:

• Are the courses being completed?
• Where do learners drop off?
• Which questions are answered incorrectly?
• Which content receives negative feedback?
• Which topics continue to trigger follow-up questions?

Reporting shows whether content is understandable and where improvements are needed. This keeps e-learning content current and effective.

What to look for in e-learning content creation software

The right software determines whether content creation is fast, clean, and scalable.

Software selection checklist

Why integrated platforms offer advantages

Individual tools often lead to fragmented workflows. Content is created in an authoring tool, exported to an LMS, documents are stored in folders, and reports are reviewed separately.

An integrated e-learning platform reduces this effort. Content is created, published, assigned, and evaluated without having to constantly switch between systems.

Create custom e-learning content for different target groups

Not all learners need the same content. A good e-learning system accounts for these differences.

Structure content by role

New employees need the basics. Managers require additional leadership topics. Sales teams need product arguments. Service teams need concrete use cases.

Role-based learning paths ensure that every group receives relevant content.

Deliver content by location or department

In decentralized companies, processes, languages, and requirements vary. One location may need different safety information than another. One department works with different tools than the next.

Tags, groups, and automatic assignments target content precisely. This creates individual learning journeys without manual effort.

Make content available to operational teams on the go

Operational teams often don't work at a desk. That is why content must be short, mobile-friendly, and instantly accessible.

Read more about this in the article Benefits of mobile learning.

How to create your own content with the keelearning authoring tool

keelearning combines an authoring tool, learning platform, course library, media library, and reporting. Companies create their own e-learning content directly within the platform and publish it for the appropriate target groups.

Build content faster

The authoring tool makes it easy to turn existing knowledge into digital courses. Departments can create content using text, images, videos, quizzes, and interactive elements.

AI features help prepare course structures, questions, and content more quickly. This allows for faster initial drafts, while subject matter experts ensure quality and accuracy.

A key component of the keelearning authoring tool is the AI Course Assistant. Instead of just generating individual texts or questions, the assistant guides you through the course creation process step by step.

It’s not just about speed. The creation process is built on sound instructional design: based on the topic, target audience, and learning objectives, the assistant develops a logical course structure and then helps you flesh out the individual learning units. This ensures that your existing expertise is transformed into a structured e-learning course, rather than just automatically generated content.

This significantly lowers the barrier to entry, especially for departments with deep expertise but little experience in designing digital learning materials. At the same time, all content can be reviewed, adjusted, and refined afterward.

Use templates and the course library

Templates make it easy to get started and provide structure for your courses. Companies don't have to rebuild recurring content from scratch every time.

The course library also provides ready-made content for common training topics. You can easily combine your own materials with pre-built courses.

Manage learning paths and target audiences

Use roles, tags, and groups to deliver the right content to the right people. New hires receive onboarding materials, sales teams get product training, managers access additional modules, and operational teams get short, mobile-friendly learning units.

Make knowledge centrally available

Not every piece of content needs to be in a course. The media library bundles important documents, videos, guides, and news. This keeps knowledge easy to find and prevents it from getting lost in emails, chats, or local folders.

keelearning also shares practical insights into digital training, L&D, and e-learning content on LinkedIn.

Custom content makes e-learning more relevant

Custom e-learning content brings company knowledge exactly where it’s needed: in onboarding, training, professional development, customer education, and daily work.

However, success depends heavily on the software. If you only create content in presentations, PDFs, or isolated tools, you will quickly hit a wall. A suitable e-learning platform combines content creation, publishing, target group management, media libraries, and analytics.

keelearning helps companies create their own content in a structured way and combine it with ready-made courses, learning paths, reporting, and the AI Course Assistant. The AI doesn't just help with individual texts; it guides you through a didactically structured process from the initial idea to the finished course.

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FAQ: Creating E-Learning Content

What content is suitable for e-learning?

Content that needs to be taught repeatedly, explained in a standardized way, or updated regularly is ideal. This includes onboarding, mandatory training, product training, process knowledge, safety instructions, customer training, and knowledge checks.

What software do I need to create e-learning content?

That depends on whether you only want to create content or also publish, manage, and analyze it. Classic authoring tools include Articulate 360 or Adobe Captivate. In addition, there are platforms that combine an authoring tool with a learning management system. keelearning combines, for example, an authoring tool, learning platform, course library, learning paths, mobile access, multilingual support, and reporting in one platform. Additionally, the AI Course Assistant supports the didactically structured creation of new e-learning courses.

Can I create e-learning content myself?

Yes. With the right authoring tool, departments and L&D teams can create their own courses, quizzes, videos, checklists, and learning paths. Clear learning objectives, a logical structure, and regular updates are essential.

How do I create individual e-learning content for different target groups?

Use roles, groups, tags, and learning paths. This ensures that new employees, managers, sales teams, operational teams, or individual locations receive exactly the content that fits their daily work routine.

How does keelearning support content creation?

keelearning combines an authoring tool, course library, AI support, media library, learning paths, mobile access, and reporting. Companies create their own content, publish it to specific target groups, and measure learning progress directly within the platform.

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